Did you know about USPS cubic shipping? Honestly, I had no clue that this existed until recently! For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, USPS has a “secret” priority mail option called cubic shipping that can be really handy for businesses who send out smaller but heavier packages. [The reason that it is a “secret” is because it is only open to businesses who meet certain requirements and is not advertised at the post office]. I find this service to be really handy as a reseller and I thought that I would share everything that you need to know about it in today’s post!
What Is It?
USPS priority mail cubic shipping is the cheapest and fastest way to ship small packages that weigh less than 20 pounds; This makes it great for businesses that ship smaller, heavier items. Items are usually delivered between 1-3 days and the price determined by size and distance instead of weight. However, it is typically only accessible by businesses that ship more than 50,000 packages per year.
BUT…
If you use services such as Pirate Ship or Shippo, you can gain access to it for FREE!
To Qualify For It, You Must Meet the Following Requirements:
Package must weigh less than 20 pounds
Package measures up to 0.5 cubic feet
Package should have sides less than 18 inches (if it is too close, then the package may actually be disqualified)
Businesses should ship 50,000+ packages annually (unless using a shipping service)
Do These Items Require Special Packaging?
Yes and No… Items that are in tubed or rolled containers typically do not qualify. Additionally, items that are in poly mailers also qualify so long that their dimensions are less than 0.5 cubic feet total. If you are using poly mailers from USPS, be sure that they only say Priority Mail.
When it comes to boxes, USPS offers 6 mailing boxes that can be used with priority mail cubic or weight-based priority mail:
Priority Mail Box – 1096L | OD: 9.25″ x 6.25″ x 2″ | Cubic Tier 1
Priority Mail Box – 4 | OD: 7.25″ x 7.25″ x 6.5″ | Cubic Tier 2
Priority Mail Box – 1097 | OD: 13″ x 11.25″ x 2.25″ | Cubic Tier 2 *
Priority Mail Box – 1092 | OD: 13.68″ x 12″ x 2.875″ |Cubic Tier 3
Priority Mail Box – 1095 | OD: 15″ x 12″ x 3.125″ | Cubic Tier 4
Priority Mail Box – Shoe Box | OD: 7.25″ x 5.25″ x 14.75″ | Cubic Tier 4
How to Calculate Cubic Feet:
1) Measure the length, width, and height of the item
2) Round an odd measurement down to the nearest quarter inch
3) Multiply all 3 measurements together and divide the result by 1728
Let’s Look at a Quick Example:
Let’s say that a package measures 8″ x 5″ x 6.6″. We would need to round down the last measurement, making the final measurements 8″ x 5″ x 6.5″. To get the cubic foot measurement, we would multiply these numbers together and divide them by 1728.
The Result: 0.150 cubic feet= qualifies for cubic shipping as it is less than 0.5 cubic feet.
Cubic Pricing Tiers:
Tier 1 (0.1) – Up to .10 cubic feet
Tier 2 (0.2) – More than 0.10 and up to 0.20 cubic feet
Tier 3 (0.3) – More than 0.20 and up to 0.30 cubic feet
Tier 4 (0.4)– More than 0.30 and up to 0.40 cubic feet
Tier 5 (0.5)– More than 0.40 and up to 0.50 cubic feet
Below are the current cubic priority shipping rates:
If you don’t already, be sure to check out my Instagram for more Reselling Tips at @ RecycledRosesGuide (Click HERE) and my Facebook page HERE.
You can instantly shop all of my looks by following me on the LIKEtoKNOW.it shopping app HERE.
To get email notifications for my next blog post and to receive my monthly Reseller Recap (with freebies), sign up for my emails below:
Baci,
